Monday, January 25, 2016

Week Seventy-seven: Lots of training!


Today we went to Lake Chapala! Its huge!!!
Its kind of like Couer d'Alene Lake in Idaho but I think this lake might be bigger. There are a ton of tourists there too. While walking around we saw a bunch
 of older American couples and a German couple.
 I thought they were Americans until I heard them speak haha.
I'll attach a lot of pictures, don't worry.






This Wednesday we had a special conference for all the missionaries across the globe!!! There were a lot of great speakers and they showed a us a few things to change, so that's what were going to be doing, CHANGING!.

Following the worldwide training we had divisions with the assistants: Elder Raya and Elder Timpson and we all 4 went to their area (which is a new thing just now starting in the mission. Before when we did divisions, one Elder from each companionship would go to each area). We learned a lot and keep learning! To be honest, it would be pretty hard for me if i were Elder Martinez because he only had one week left haha. but he is staying strong and I love that about him!
 




Pedro our investigator is a very different investigator haha. Usually its really easy for people to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it and then they never go to church, but with Pedro its the complete opposite! He has now come to church 5 times without any help from us or members, but he hasn't read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it..... Its a first timer for both of us haha and combined we have about 3.5 years in the mission field.... woah, i just realized that Elder Martinez and I are the oldest companionship in the entire mission... that's freaky. 

Challenge: Last week we met with an inactive family that is starting to reactivate and they shared something that really impacted me. They have a 16 year old daughter and when the family moved to Guadalajara a few months ago the daughter was making new friends and she said that the girls asked her the following: "Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you have sex?" She replied that she did not and they told her, "Then what do you live for?!". 
So the challenge this week is to remember why we live, what our purpose in life is, why we do the things that we do. When we have a purpose in our life it acts as an anchor that holds
 us in the right place instead of being tossed and pushed around by the temptations of this world.

I love you all!! thank you for all you do for me! 

Elder Wagner

Monday, January 18, 2016

Week Seventy-six: 6 Months remaining!



Last week after going writing you all, we went to downtown Guadalajara!
Now I understand why everyone says Guadalajara is really pretty!
 In my 17 months in this city I always asked myself why everyone told me this city was really clean and pretty because I only been in the places where tourists
 don't go haha! I've attached all these photos so you can see for yourself how beautiful this city is when you visit as a tourist haha
 



We also visited Ripley´s Believe It or Not!
 It was pretty much exactly like the states, but everything was in Spanish haha 
I'll attach the pictures.





Elder Martinez and i realized this week that we have a TON of investigators! But we also realized that we have a big challenge keeping in contact with them :( Why do people always have to be so busy?! The investigator with most promise is named Livier and here 8 year old daughter. Livier´s mom is a member and helps us a lot, but Livier works 12 hours almost every day so she cant come to church, but her daughter Valeria is really excited for her baptism! Valeria comes to church with her grandparents and little sisters almost every week, but her mom cant because of work, but in February she is going to have vacations so well see what happens then! :)

Today we had our zone activity!
 Elder Martinez organized a scavenger hunt kind of thing and we played soccer and ate pizza! I'll attach a picture. I keep forgetting to put on sunscreen on days like these..tomorrow I'm going to be regretting it...



My scripture to ponderize this week is: Matthew. 28:18-20

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19 ¶Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

I am with you until the end of the world!!! That's a pretty great promise from the Son of God! Yesterday I gave a talk at church about missionary work and I shared this scripture. While giving the talk I realized that we don't have to be nervous to speak to people about the gospel or give a talk at church. The Lord will be with us "...alway(s), even unto the end of the world".

Challenge: This year, President Egginton has put a lot of emphasis in the word "Change". If you are comfortable doing whatever you are doing, change! If you're comfortable not reading the scriptures, change! If you're comfortable not going to church, change! If you're comfortable not taking care of your body, change! There's a talk given by a General authority called "Approaching the throne of God with confidence". I invite you all to read it and set some goals to change for the better!!!

I love you all! thank you for all you do!!!!!
Elder Wagner

Monday, January 11, 2016

Week Seventy-five: Interviews with President!!!


The following photos are from last weeks Leadership Council.
Sis. Egginton the Mission President's wife,
posted them on the Mission's Facebook page.





Elder Martinez and I

We started the week off on Monday with a GREAT family home evening! People, have your family home evenings and I promise, you wont regret it!!!!

Tuesday we spent almost the entire day in the chapel organizing our zones interviews with President Egginton and the next day we went to the offices to have our interviews :D The interview was only supposed to be about 15 minutes, but it went over an hour long haha. I have learned so much from this man. its incredible. 

After the interview we stayed in the offices to help out. I'm not sure i told you, but my companion Elder Martínez was a secretary as well, so we both help out when we visit. After helping out the secretaries we bought a "Rosca de Reyes". its a special bread they make every year on the 6th of January they eat this bread on "el día de los reyes" or, "Kings day" the day the kings arrived to see baby Jesus. Inside the bread they put little plastic dolls. to eat the bread, each person cuts their own piece and if your piece has a doll in it, you have to make or buy tamales to celebrate another day on the 2nd of February (i think). I have such good luck, that in the 3 times we ate this bread, i got a doll 2 times. We ate one in the offices, Elder Martinez and i bought a mini one, and we had another in a meeting we had with President Egginton and the stake presidency on Thursday. So i need to learn how to make tamales or find a side job to pay for them!!

"Rosca de Reyes"
 It"s a special bread they make every year on the 6th of January
 they eat this bread on
 "El día de los reyes" 
or, "Kings day" 

 I have such good luck, that in the 3 times we ate this bread, I got a doll 2 times.


We also had a zone meeting this Friday! 

Saturday morning some Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on our door and tried to share a message with us..... talk about awkward....

My scripture to ponderize: Mat. 11:28-30 Come unto Christ and he will make you rest!!!

We have been finding new investigators a lot in the last few weeks and were hoping to have some baptisms soon!!!

Challenge: Have a family home evening! Invite another family over or maybe some neighbors or friends who aren't members and enjoy some time with them while sharing a message about the gospel. You wont regret it!!!

I love you all!! thank you for your love and support!! 

Elder Wagner

Monday, January 4, 2016

Week Seventy:four: Feliz año nuevo!

I (Pam) received these two photo's live from the Mission Presiden't's wife this week, titled:
"In Leadership Council right now. Great missionary!!!

From Sis Egginton to Pam:
 "We have Leadership Council every month, usually at the beginning of the month, but January is going to be busy.
 So, we get to be with Elder Wagner today!!!


Christmas day skype session photos. 


Singing "The First Noel" to us in Spanish.
Pam requested they sing a Christmas song to us in Spanish.

Matt Ricks posted this on Zach's FB page last week, it's from July,
always happy for surprise photos!


ANOTHER crazy week and this week looks like its going to be the same! Just the way I like it!

Wednesday we had the monthly mission leadership council, so we were there from 9am to about 5pm. we then went to the offices and saw Elder Anderson (a senior missionary who is currently the financial secretary). As soon as he saw me he said "Elder Wagner, I need your help!" hahaha. It turns out that he needed a LOT of help and I needed to stay and help him for the rest of that day and part of the next day. By the time we finished it was 6pm Thursday and we needed to be in our house at 7 because it was new years eve and things get a little out of hand later in the night. So we stayed the night with the secretaries. While arriving to their house they called us from across the street and said proudly "We bought a 1000 piece puzzle!!" while raising it above their heads hahaha. So thats how I spent my new years eve! *Photo attached. We were planning on buying pizza or something and having it delivered to the house, but sadly EVERYWHERE was closed. And of course the secretaries had nothing in their fridge other than a jar of 6 month old salsa... I cant blame them because I wasnt much better when I was a secretary lol.


Friday we had a zone meeting and Saturday we did our weekly planning session, so we only had one normal proselyting day which was Tuesday, but holy cow were we busy!

On Friday we went with a recent convert and helped them start their family history work. To be honest I have never really looked into my own or how to do it online or anything, so I was being taught by my companion along with the recent converts haha! I learned a lot and realized that family history is made pretty darn easy with familysearch.org.

My scripture to ponderize: Matthew 19:21. In this scripture Jesus tells us how we can be perfect!! Read the entire chapter, its great! 

Challenge: Learn more about your ancestors through familysearch.org. I learned a ton using this website this week. So if you haven't started an account or you haven't ever thought about your genealogy, go to this website and learn more about yourself by learning your roots! If you have already started yours, keep going and find more!

I love you all!! Happy New year!!!! Good luck with all your new year resolutions!! one of mine is flossing my teeth everyday... I'm 4 for 4 so far!!!! Have a great week and a great 2016. PS. I come home this year!!

Elder Wagner